A 22-year-old musician and self-styled businessman, Salman Abdul Hamid, has been granted bail by the Dansoman Circuit Court after being charged with defrauding a trader of GH¢258,000 under the pretext of currency exchange.
Presiding over the case, Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit admitted the accused to bail in the sum of GH¢220,000 with three sureties.
As part of the conditions, two of the sureties must be public servants residing within the court’s jurisdiction, each earning not less than GH¢5,000 per month. The third surety is required to justify the full bail amount with verifiable title deeds equivalent to the bail sum.
The court further directed that Abdul Hamid deposit his Ghana Card at the court registry and report to the police every week until the case is concluded.
Abdul Hamid, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of fraudulent breach of trust contrary to Section 128 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), is alleged to have received the amount from Abdul Aziz Jibril, a trader, under the guise of converting it into US$30,000.
According to the prosecution, the transaction occurred in March this year when the complainant sought assistance to exchange Ghana cedis for United States dollars to support an international business transaction.
The accused reportedly assured Jibril of his ability to provide the equivalent amount in dollars within a short period.
However, after collecting the GH¢258,000, the accused allegedly failed to deliver the promised US dollars and became unresponsive to repeated calls and messages. Multiple efforts by the complainant to retrieve either the money or the foreign currency proved futile, prompting him to lodge a formal complaint with the police.
Investigators say Abdul Hamid was later arrested and questioned, but was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation or evidence of any genuine attempt to fulfill the currency exchange deal.
During court proceedings, counsel for the accused pleaded for bail, arguing that the young man has a fixed place of abode and would cooperate with the judicial process.
The case has been adjourned to August 12, 2025, for further hearing and case management.
Background of the Case
The case stems from a complaint filed by Abdul Aziz Jibril, a trader based in Aplaku, Accra. According to the prosecution, on May 16, 2025 Abdul Hamid received GH¢258,000 from Jibril at UTC, Accra Central, in a foreign exchange transaction. The money was to be exchanged for US$30,000 which was to be delivered to a third party.
However, Abdul Hamid allegedly returned only US$10,000 promising to deliver the remaining US$20,000 the following day.
According to Abdul Jibril, the accused failed to do so, later switched off his phone and went into hiding. After several unsuccessful attempts to retrieve the funds, the complainant lodged a report with the police on May 21, 2025.
Abdul Hamid was subsequently arrested at his hideout in Awoshie, a suburb of Accra, on July 10, 2025.
During police interrogation, he allegedly admitted to using the money for online trading, where he claimed to have lost the entire amount.
The prosecution has been instructed to file disclosures and witness statements ahead of trial proceedings scheduled to commence on August 6, 2025.
